The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 772: Volume 23: Rising Winds and Swirling Clouds, - 9: Gone with the Wind

Chapter 772: Volume 23: Rising Winds and Swirling Clouds, Chapter 9: Gone with the Wind

Komer seemed to be leisurely strolling along the ramparts of Bruce Fortress, reminiscing about the time a few years back when he, along with Puber and Ilot, had hurried past this place like homeless dogs fleeing from Homer to the Caucasus. Who would have imagined that the strategic fortress of Bruce in the Busen Plain would now be under his feet? How quickly time and circumstances change, often too rapidly for people to comprehend, right?

Bruce Fortress had become unrecognizable from the days under Homer’s control. The river port dock had expanded several times over, now bearing the responsibility of handling the continuous influx of iron ore and high-quality smokeless coal from the hinterlands of Leon. Bruce also leveraged its superior geographical location to become a true regional distribution center for goods, and the floating bridge over the Nissai River had turned the once desolate southern bank into a bustling area centered around the bridge tax inspection office.

Bruce was no longer merely a fortress. While its military function continued to be reinforced, considering it still faced threats from Homer in the north beyond the Great Greenland Forest, the commercial function of the civilian sector was on a steep rise, seemingly poised to surpass the fortress’s military importance. South of the Nissai River had become a settlement for the half-beasts, among whom the more intellectually agile and skilled individuals were no longer content with simple, crude, and low-wage physical labor such as mining, logging, and transporting. The competition from the barbarians motivated a small portion of them to adopt the mentality of mortals, to think and learn if they desired a better life.

The success of mortal merchants in both Bruce and Muscat enlightened these awakened half-beasts to the realization that whatever mortals could do, they could do as well. Not daring to engage in highly technical fields like brewing, manufacturing, or smelting, they saw activities such as logging, quarrying, and processing—labor-intensive industries—as not beyond their reach. The agency of Caucasus Bank had long spread across the entire Caucasus Region. If a group of brothers could scrape together enough resources and muster the courage to borrow a sum from the bank, starting a small logging yard, quarry, or lumber processing plant seemed far from impossible.

Once this notion took root in the minds of the half-beasts—though it was just a tiny minority who entertained such thoughts—it signified the evolution of civilization, or so Komer always believed. When the first logging yard operated by half-beasts went into production, like mushrooms after the rain, a series of rudimentary workshops run by half-beasts sprang up around the tax inspection office on the southern bank of the Nissai River. While their operations were modest, even rudimentary compared to those run by mortals, it was a start nonetheless. Especially as they backed onto a market primarily composed of the half-beast settlements in Leon, they still held their advantages.

Of course, this represented only a minuscule fraction of the 200,000 half-beasts in Leon; the vast majority were still engaged in their traditional occupations—mining, transportation, logging, processing, construction, heavy labor. Even with competition from barbarians, they maintained a firm hold over their dominant positions by virtue of their early advantages.

The booming development of the southern bank couldn’t have been achieved without the support and guidance of Bruce Fortress’s administrative assistant. Komer was quite pleased with that young man named Heber. Puber really had some talents among his classmates at Phoenix City College. While they might have been frustrated figures elsewhere, they seemed to shine brightly under his leadership.

The development of the southern bank was indeed thriving, but when compared with the older districts on the northern bank of the river, they weren’t on the same level. Although military convention dictated that the development of streets and markets should not approach the castle, the market streets rapidly extended along the official road leading from the Busen Plain to the castle Door. The area around the river port dock also quickly flourished. The tactics Komer had used in Ugru were now being reenacted by Heber in Bruce. The primeval forest swiftly receded, as numerous logging and processing yards helped thick trees metamorphose rapidly from flora to construction materials, leading to a surge of buildings erected from the ground up.

Each evening, as the sun set in the west, the entire area north of the castle was enveloped in the smoke of cooking fires. The number of bakeries in Bruce had reached an astonishing thirty, second only to Ugru and Mattdam. This figure alone was proof of the dramatic increase in the population residing in Bruce, whereas there had been only eight bakeries a few years before and considerably smaller in size.

If the Nissai River and the Catania River were like two belts wrapped around the waist of the Great Caucasus, then Bruce was undoubtedly the navel of the Caucasus. With its back to the Forest and face to the river, with Leon as a base of primary product production and a significant consumer of essential goods, favorable water transport conditions, and the newly accessible pathway through Little Greenland—although not immediately commercially viable—the value of this river route would surpass that of the Catania River once the magical beast problems around Lake Nissai were resolved.

The Catania River was hailed as the Golden Waterway due to its commercial value, but once the Nissai River was fully navigable, it would not only hold considerable commercial potential but its political significance would also render it a true strategic waterway. Just think, being able to connect the Southwest region of the kingdom with the otherwise isolated region of the Caucasus held profound significance for the Nicosians who lived in constant fear of the menacing military fronts of the beastmen.

"No, I can’t lose it," Komer almost instinctively shouted out. Bruce could never be lost; losing Bruce meant losing half the value of Leon, and without Leon, it also meant losing the half-beasts and the barbarians, drowning the entire Caucasus. Without Leon, the endlessly busy giant mine and melting furnace, the Caucasus would be like a mintage without coins, instantly submerged by idle half-beasts and barbarians.

Perhaps it was indeed time to make a move. Once Hoffman and the Church of Light realized what was happening, they would spare no expense to drive me back to Caucasus. Livonia was nothing but a minor irritation to them, insignificant and easily dismissed. Without me, those small nobles in the Southwest could not cause any real trouble, and undermining me at my foundation was undoubtedly the best way to eradicate me completely.

Rather than waiting passively for them to attack Bruce, it was better to take the initiative to strike first. The Busen Plain, heh, Odessa, heh, what a delightful place. Komer had long coveted it. Let Ilot and Dragumo strut about in Livonia, drawing the attention of Hoffman and Philip, while I crossed the Great Greenland Forest to deliver a fatal blow to Philip. I wondered how he would feel about that. If I truly took control of the Busen Plain, the Greater Caucasus would finally have a stable food supply base, no longer needing to worry about embargoes from the outside world or the meddling of the Jellyfish People in the Catania River.

Of course, Komer knew all of this was but a beautiful fantasy, and to turn this fantasy into reality, many difficulties had to be overcome. But the most important issue had been resolved: the Nicosia Court Mage Group would not be able to support Philip in the foreseeable future, and the magical support the other three Great Lords could provide for Philip was very limited. In such a direct confrontation, nobody would willingly send their painstakingly recruited and trained mages to help someone else. Philip did not have that much charm, not even with the addition of Tracy! Komer thought with some wickedness, perhaps if I had another chance to ride that bitch, I might let her and her father off the hook.

At this moment, Komer suddenly realized with horror that the resentment hidden deep within his heart was so profound, so painful. He had thought that after all these years, with all the storms weathered, what should have been forgotten had long since been worn smooth. Sometimes he even questioned whether he had lost sight of his life’s goals, but now Komer understood that all his previous grand visions seemed more like facades covering a hypocritical core. Was he so obsessed in his bones that he couldn’t let go of a woman, or was it his inability to get over the slight and humiliation from Philip? Or both? Which was the lighter burden, which the heavier?

Once the wound was opened, it started to seep with bloodstains – were they bloodstains or thick juice? Even Komer himself could not be sure.

Komer was no longer naive in matters of emotion or desire. Katya, Grace, and Lome, who had already shared joys beyond count, and even Eve, who was not out of reach if he truly desired her. As for Renta, as Katya had said, she might soon become a spoil of war for the victor to enjoy, but none of this seemed to heal Komer’s wounded heart. He found it somewhat laughable to explain it this way, yet it was true. Komer did not want to deceive himself, nor could he deceive himself, for it would be utterly meaningless.

First love is the most beloved, fresh and profound.

Komer didn’t know which philosopher had said that, but at this moment, he somewhat hated that saying. Unforgettable for a lifetime, but he had to ruthlessly put an end to it.

Komer recalled Puber’s suggestion to him: perhaps to destroy these beautiful memories, the best way was to re-experience them. The sense of revulsion might instantly make all beautiful and impractical fantasies disappear without a trace. Komer had to admit that it might be a shameless but effective method. It would free him from any lingering thoughts or expectations, allowing him to move unhindered toward his predetermined goal, but it might also utterly destroy the thing he cherished and fondly remembered the most.

But do I still have a choice now? Komer stood atop the castle wall, silently sighing. A small flower petal slipped through his fingers and drifted away with the wind.

(To be continued. For more information, please visit WWW.CMFU.COM, where Chapters are more abundant, supporting the author and authorized reading!)